Choosing the Best Lighting Control: Factors to Consider

With controllability becoming the standard in just about every industry (including lighting), it’s something you may be thinking about offering to your customers. But what’s the best lighting control?

The answer depends on your needs and preferences, as well as a few other factors. But no matter which type of control you choose, you’ll enhance your customers’ experience by giving them the ability to program and customize their own lighting. All major studies show that better lighting translates to better sales!

Two factors to consider when you’re searching for the best lighting control are industry applications and the type of controller.

Industry Applications

There are many different types of lighting control technologies to choose from, and depending on your industry, one may work better than another. A few industries we work with — and help manufacturers find controllable lighting solutions for — include appliance, architectural, marine, RV, and vehicular. Let’s review how you can add cutting-edge technology to your projects.

Appliance

Lighting for appliances often falls under the accent lighting category, with customizable options available for customers to further set their illumination apart. The best lighting control for your appliance accent lighting may be one of the following:

• Addressable Controller: This module lets you program your lighting to make your interior and/or exterior applications truly unique. It also has various RGBW light sequences available for ultimate controllability and customization.

• RGB Controller: This controller comes with a wireless radio frequency (RF) remote and the capability to manage lighting with dynamic color-changing modes. It’s also suitable for mobile applications.

• Bluetooth Mini-Module: This watertight, app-enabled controller allows users to completely customize their RGB lights with their smartphone. The Bluetooth Mini-Module is slim and compact, which makes it easy to fit into applications with limited space.

Architectural

Those in need of architectural applications are often looking for accent or task lighting to illuminate their restaurants, offices, theaters, and other locations. Some of the best lighting controls for architectural accent or task lighting include: 

• Dimmer: Our on/off-switch dimmer is an energy-efficient and low-voltage product that lets your customers dim their interior lights to a comfortable level. This solid-state unit can handle up to 15 amps.

• Addressable Controller: This module lets you program your lighting to make your interior and/or exterior applications truly unique. It also has various RGBW light sequences available for ultimate controllability and customization.

• RGB Controller: This controller comes with a wireless radio frequency (RF) remote and the capability to manage lighting with dynamic color-changing modes. It’s also suitable for mobile applications.

• Bluetooth Mini-Module: This watertight, app-enabled controller allows users to completely customize their RGB lights with their smartphone. The Bluetooth Mini-Module is slim and compact, which makes it easy to fit into applications with limited space.

Marine 

If you manufacture watercraft like yachts or pontoons, you’re naturally going to search for waterproof lighting controls for your on-deck illumination. To illuminate your watercraft and offer your customers cutting-edge technology, consider these controls: 

• CAN Bus Node: The CAN Bus Node is programmable to the current lighting system(s) you offer. This solution also allows for customized RGBW color use for your unique application with up to four selectable addresses available.

• Vista Gateway: This lighting control is an NMEA2000 protocol interface for use with the manufacturer-supplied, multi-function touchscreen display. It lets your buyers completely control and customize their marine lighting to fit their unique needs and preferences.

• Bluetooth with Switch Feature: This is a manual, watertight controller with Vista Connect App compatibility that lets your users customize their RGB lighting. A two-way rocker switch allows for complete brightness and color control.

• Dimmer: Our on/off-switch dimmer is an energy-efficient and low-voltage product that lets your customers dim their interior lights to a comfortable level. This solid-state unit can handle up to 15 amps.

• Addressable Controller: This module lets you program your lighting to make your interior and/or exterior applications truly unique. It also has various RGBW light sequences available for ultimate controllability and customization.

• RGB Controller: This controller comes with a wireless radio frequency (RF) remote and the capability to manage lighting with dynamic color-changing modes. It’s also suitable for mobile applications.

• Bluetooth Mini-Module: This watertight, app-enabled controller allows users to completely customize their RGB lights with their smartphone. The Bluetooth Mini-Module is slim and compact, which makes it easy to fit into applications with limited space.

RV

RV manufacturers typically look for lighting solutions that will accent their product’s best features and allow customers to easily manage the interior’s brightness. Lighting controls that work well for RV accent lighting include the following:

• Bluetooth with Switch Feature: This is a manual, watertight controller with Vista Connect App compatibility that lets your users customize their RGB lighting. A two-way rocker switch allows for complete brightness and color control.

• Dimmer: Our on/off-switch dimmer is an energy-efficient and low-voltage product that lets your customers dim their interior lights to a comfortable level. This solid-state unit can handle up to 15 amps.

• Addressable Controller: This module lets you program your lighting to make your interior and/or exterior applications truly unique. It also has various RGBW light sequences available for ultimate controllability and customization.

• RGB Controller: This controller comes with a wireless radio frequency (RF) remote and the capability to manage lighting with dynamic color-changing modes. It’s also suitable for mobile applications.

• Bluetooth Mini-Module: This watertight, app-enabled controller allows users to completely customize their RGB lights with their smartphone. The Bluetooth Mini-Module is slim and compact, which makes it easy to fit into applications with limited space.

Vehicular

For utility and emergency vehicle manufacturers, your primary concern is task lighting for customers who need to concentrate on what they’re doing. The best lighting control for your task-oriented vehicular customers may be any one of these:

• CAN Bus Node: The CAN Bus Node is programmable to the current lighting system(s) you offer. This solution also allows for customized RGBW color use for your unique application with up to four selectable addresses available.

• Bluetooth with Switch Feature: This is a manual, watertight controller with Vista Connect App compatibility that lets your users customize their RGB lighting. A two-way rocker switch allows for complete brightness and color control.

• Dimmer: Our on/off-switch dimmer is an energy-efficient and low-voltage product that lets your customers dim their interior lights to a comfortable level. This solid-state unit can handle up to 15 amps.

• Addressable Controller: This module lets you program your lighting to make your interior and/or exterior applications truly unique. It also has various RGBW light sequences available for ultimate controllability and customization.

• RGB Controller: This controller comes with a wireless radio frequency (RF) remote and the capability to manage lighting with dynamic color-changing modes. It’s also suitable for mobile applications.

• Bluetooth Mini-Module: This watertight, app-enabled controller allows users to completely customize their RGB lights with their smartphone. The Bluetooth Mini-Module is slim and compact, which makes it easy to fit into applications with limited space.

Type of Controller

The type of lighting controller you choose likely depends on your preference, as well as what you think your target audience would most appreciate with their lighting. That might be dimmers or remotes, nodes or modules, or app-enabled solutions, based on those preferences.

Dimmer or Remote

Dimmers are typically in the wall and on a switch, letting your customers easily manage the brightness in their home, restaurant, office, or theater. But some users might prefer a wireless lighting control that doesn’t require any electrical installation or having to physically go to a dimmer switch to turn the brightness up or down. For these customers, an RGB Controller might be a more desirable option.

Node or Module

Nodes or modules are devices that typically send and receive instructions and data wirelessly, with their own unique address. In the case of the CAN Bus Node, there are four addresses available for your customers, and Vista Gateway, our NMEA 2000 Interface, offers a six-channel output. Our Addressable Controller requires two to three different types of wiring connections, but installation (and using its controller switch) is easy.

App-Enabled Solution

For customers who want the latest technology in lighting controllability, app-enabled solutions are the way to go. Bluetooth with Switch Feature and Bluetooth Mini-Module work with the Vista Connect App so users can completely customize their RGB lights. This app lets them program lighting on demand for just about any application; they can even sync their lights to music with the app! 

While you have plenty of options, the best lighting control for your unique customer base will depend on your industry, the type of controller you’d like to offer, and the level of Bluetooth capability you wish to give them. No matter which solution you choose, your buyers will appreciate having cutting-edge technology at their fingertips so they can customize their lighting the way they want to.

Since 1971, Vista has helped manufacturers gain a competitive advantage by merging quality and innovative lighting products with cost-effective pricing and on-time delivery. To learn more, please contact us or connect with us on LinkedIn.